A/N: A quick thank you to everyone who added this story in their alerts and/or added it to their favorite list. It truly means a lot to me.

Chapter 9-

Bella's POV-

"So, what do you say, Didi?" the strange woman in front of me enquired, nervousness visible on her face as she asked me this question, successfully pulling me out of my self- imposed stupor.

I glared at her- that being an immediate reaction, hastily taking two steps back, and thankfully, landing on my ass. It would have been a great first impression- no doubt- had I attempted to move away, managing to land on the floor instead of the bed.

Thank God for small mercies, I would say.

"Didi," She looked confused and slightly hurt by my sudden reaction- not that I cared even a tiny- winy bit.

"For the very last time," I sighed audibly, noticeably attempting to make my point. "My name is Bella Swan, B-E-L-L-A." I stated aloud, dramatically, indeed. "It is not Didyme or Didi, for that matter. If once again someone calls me by the name of Didyme, I am seriously going to lose my shit, finding a way to strangle their neck. I don't care how impossible it seems to be; I will find a way to do so. I can assure you of that."

Okay, so maybe I was overreacting, but come on, how many times should I specify over this glorious fact that I was Bella Swan and not Didyme Volturi…if that was even her actual surname, before it became obvious that I was not her, and had no immediate wish of becoming her.

I was happy with who I was, thank you very much.

Did they need it in writing before it entered their thick head that only my soul had reincarnated…and not the entire package?

We had different bodies and different personalities. I was not her- and she was not me.

I wouldn't mind terribly to do the giving in writing part, if it guarantees success though.

"Didi," she whispered, too shaken to speak any louder than the low volume she had managed to acquire.

"Oh come on," I rolled my eyes, a sigh escaping my lips.

I had half a mind to question her on which language she preferred, for I would learn that language and then tell her this exact same line that I had just muttered- so that it became very, very obvious that I was saying the truth. I was neither bluffing nor suffering from say, dissociative identity disorder.

I was Bella Swan. I was a hundred and ten percent confident about that.

Anyhow, how would that even work? Didyme was dead. She had been dead for centuries now. Did these people really believe that she rose from the ashes all these centuries later and decided that no, she could not live without them, and so was back in their lives?

That seemed to be the plot of a really bad story.

I was simply a reincarnation of her soul- no big deal, you know.

Say for example, if Marcus hadn't recognized the mate bond in the throne room, maybe my soul would have once again retired back to where it came from, without making anyone any wiser about it sharing some mysterious connection with a woman who lived more than millennia ago.

It was possible, definitely so.

It was just luck that they now knew that I had a reincarnated soul.

It changed nothing- truly.

"Don't you remember?" she whispered, refusing to give up.

Damn, this was some stubbornness.

I sighed. "It is impossible to remember things you haven't actually been through, though I seem to be doing the impossible these days. Anyhow, one memory means nothing more than that- a memory, and so, please move along and let me relax in peace."

So, maybe I was being rude, but I was tired and annoyed.

I just wanted to be left alone.

Was that too much to ask for?

I somehow doubted that.

She frowned, nodding her head. "I will be in my room….in the tower, if you need me."

I shrugged, having no need to point out that I would not be visiting her in her room, at least not in the near future. I guess she probably did know this too, as she sighed and rose, walking out of the room.

I shook my head, ridding myself of all these thoughts.

I did not care for what Sulpicia had just told me.

I was curious, I wouldn't deny that, but this was definitely not my headache.

I was not Didyme, and I was definitely not here to take revenge on her behalf.

Her life and decisions was exactly that- hers.

I was not going to concern myself with it.

I was rather content with living my life. I had no desire to fulfill the remaining wishes of some dead woman.

It may sound rude, but how many would say- with complete honesty- that they would be willing to push their life and goals aside, putting another's- a random stranger's- incomplete wish above it.

No one would, and if they say they would, they are definitely lying about it.

I was not an idiot.

Aro was a vampire- and I was human.

I could not defeat him, or help in defeating him- from what I assume Sulpicia meant for me to do.

I would have to become a vampire to do so, and what was the guarantee that I could defeat him, if we were to fight.

It could simply end with me losing my life…however vampires were supposed to lose theirs.

Was I ready to sacrifice myself for the ridiculously hasty promise of another?

No. No way.

I was selfish, I agree.

Didyme had promised Sulpicia to stop Aro from becoming this power- hungry maniac that he had become, and she was dead.

The matter was over, and I was definitely not about to open it again.

A knock on the door grabbed my attention and I looked up, frowning slightly.

Who would knock on my room door like this?

I hadn't expected vampires to have this much manners in them, you know.

Anyhow, weren't they simply used to pulling their food- let's get real here, that was what I was for majority in this castle- and draining them dry?

At least that was what happened in the throne room earlier.

I shuddered as a vivid memory of that very scene entered my mind, taking a front row seat and enjoying the show. It had been horrifying….all those dead bodies and loss of life….that bloodshed and carnage.

I didn't exactly know whether I should be thankful for surviving that destruction, or be upset about the fact that these images would remain with me till the rest of my existence.

The latter was probably worse than the former.

There was nothing worse than being reminded of the moments that you would rather not remember.

And I didn't exactly know of where my future lay or what was to come for me to witness, but I was now somewhat confident that Marcus was not going to let me go this time around…no matter the price to pay to keep me around.

And maybe- just maybe- I wanted the same.

But that was a conversation for a later date- I know I am repeating this line- I just don't want to think about this right now- I will think about this later when I really, really have to as by then water would be above the bridge and I would have no choice but to think over this- but for now, we are not quite there, fortunately.

"Bella," a soft voice spoke, knocking the room door again, when I hadn't responded for a few long minutes.

It was Marcus.

Who else would it be?

Though, there was much to be glad about that fact.

Firstly, I had started to appreciate Marcus's company, for the lack of a more life-changing word, and secondly, he did not cause my instincts to run a hundred miles an hour, like all the other vampires did.

My instincts did not tell me to stay away from him. They were not wary of him. In fact, they trusted him. They saw him as someone who could be trusted with our very life- and that was a really scary thing.

I had never trusted anyone like this before in life…not even Renee or Charlie, for that matter. Renee was probably the last person that anyone could trust- mind you- and if you did, have you no sense of who to trust and who to not, I would ask them.

Renee was forgetful to another extreme. I could still remember the time when she 'forgot' me in Disneyland and went back home- suddenly realizing that I was missing when she couldn't find her favorite t-shirt and wanted me to find it for her. Yup, that is when she realized of it.

I don't even know if the correct word would be to term her self- centered, or to let it remain as slightly lost in her own world.

Anyhow, by the time she had realized her this 'mistake'- she refused to call it a blunder, an older helpful tourist couple had been about to drop me home- and I was not even six at that time, still I knew everything from my address to how exactly to reach there.

I had to, or else I would never have survived till the age of eighteen.

I had to trust myself. I had to make my own decisions. I had no choice but to.

I had to take decisions such as did we need the money for our electricity bill for the month or could we splurge it on new ballet shoes for me, the former obviously taking precedence.

Renee just did not have it in her to care. She was a free- spirit, her thinking capacity starting and ending at her, and so I had never learnt to trust her.

With Charlie, it was slightly different.

He was mature. He was an adult- and behaved like one. He did not need someone to manage his books for him. He could do so on his own. He did not need relationship advice, or to hear it from someone that the person they were dating was complete shit and it was totally better to dump them than to keep hope in mind- though in hindsight, I wish I had told him this before he married that witch reincarnation.

Anyhow, there is not much than can be done about spilt milk and Tanya had him under the spell since he met her eyes for the very first time, sadly.

So, coming back to the point, Charlie did not need me around. He did not need me to keep him alive and away from ending without a home. He could look after himself. He was the police chief of that small town, in fact.

People trusted him with their very lives.

And he made sure to take good care of their lives.

I could have learnt to trust him, I believe.

If only, he had given me enough time to do so.

I needed time. I was not one of those who trusted easily.

I had never learnt to be one of those, my childhood forming that base for me.

If only Charlie had given me that time to trust him.

If only Tanya had not entered his life that soon after I walked into it.

Maybe, I would have shared a good relationship with him. Maybe, he wouldn't have cut me like this from his life…knowing that I wanted nothing to do with him or his wife- which wasn't completely true. I just didn't trust him enough to disclose my fears and just leaving everything and going away seemed to be the more sensible option at the moment. Maybe…there was just so many maybe's here for me to ponder over.

"Bella, you are scaring me now." Marcus sighed from outside the door, bringing me back to reality. "I am going to break the door if you don't…."

"You can enter without breaking it, you know, or have you no idea of that?" I smiled, my smile going wider when he pushed open the room door and entered, a frown on that handsome face of his.

Damn, I needed to keep watch over my emotions.

I had known him for less than twenty four hours and I was already talking like one of those lovesick fools I had promised myself never to become like.

"Why didn't you open the door?" he questioned, folding his arms over his torso, waiting for me to speak.

I shrugged in perfect nonchalance. "The door was open. You could have easily entered."

He frowned, refusing to meet my eyes- literally looking everywhere but at me.

"I am confused here." I spoke when he still wouldn't look at me- silence enveloping the room. Wait. Was he embarrassed? If yes, of what? "Why are you behaving like this? I thought it was obvious that you could smell that I was inside and so would enter without waiting for my permission, so as to say."

He sighed, rubbing a hand over his jaw in nervousness. "You are a woman."

I giggled. "Thank you for enlightening me over that fact. You have no idea of what big a favor you have done on me."

He smiled- I had a feeling that he would be blushing if he could. "I meant I can't enter your room unless you specifically mention that you are comfortable with me doing so."

"Says who?" I frowned, confused. "And I do remember you entering this room a while back when you put me to sleep?"

"Yes," he sighed, agreeing. "But now it is different. You are neither in a daze or incapable of reaching this room on your own. You are perfectly alright and awake, and I wouldn't want to make you uncomfortable by entering your room when you are not ready for my company. I have no intention of doing so and I can understand….."

"Stop," I held my hand up, interrupting his ramblings. "You do know that people have become more modern with the passing time, right?"

He frowned. "Yes, I do know that, but how it that even relevant to the situation?"

I hid my smile. Marcus was truly adorable- have I mentioned that before?

"I don't know about others, but you don't need to wait for express permission when you want to enter my room- honestly, I doubt anyone waits for it these days. Knock, I wouldn't say no for that, but no need to wait till I reply- just enter. If I don't want you coming in, I will make sure to say so."

"But," he looked confused by my words. "Are you sure? If you don't prefer me waiting outside, I can always ask Heidi or Chelsea to ask you prior to when I want to visit, if you would be comfortable with me visiting."

"Please don't." I stared at him.

Was he serious?

Did he have no idea of how manner less humans had turned to become?

Heck, most people did not even knock these days. They just simply walked in like they owned the very place.

He sighed, looking even more confused.

"Marcus, trust me," I stared at him, my eyes wide. "I don't need the notice period, or you to wait outside my door till I spoke up and told you to specifically enter. I know there is nothing wrong in the latter, but I often tend to get lost in my own thoughts- and I wouldn't want you to keep waiting outside. I will make sure to tell you if I am uncomfortable with something."

He looked doubtful, but nodded his head, accepting my words.

"Tell me something," I began, a smile on my face. "Were you this formal with Didyme? I am sorry I am assuming you have not been with anyone since she…."

He sighed. "You would not be wrong in assuming so."

"Wow," I muttered, more to myself than to him. That was a really long time to take a vow of abstinence…more than millennia…wow again!

"Anyhow," he frowned. "Things were different back then. People were more formal when it came to mingling with another. Women kept to themselves. It was not like how it is today. Time changed- I know, but in this castle, we kept to following the same rules as before."

"Seems pretty sad," I admitted with a nod.

Of course, I was no stranger to how we had moved from manners to manner-less over time, but still- this seemed a bit too much for me to digest.

Though I am definitely glad that Marcus was not one of those creeps who entered my room while I was sleeping and watched me sleep.

Yup…definitely glad that Marcus kept to his old-fashioned views, paying no heed to the passing time.

"Anyhow," I shrugged. "What the fuck was Sulpicia doing in my room a while back?"

I wanted answers, and I wanted them now.

"Does this 'wait to enter rule' not apply to her?"

I would have said no had she asked, duh!

He gave me a sheepish glance. "I was not aware that she would run in this manner when told of you."

"You told her about me?"

Obviously; she had referred to me as Didyme, hadn't she?

He gave me a small smile- the smile probably a deer gave when it looked at the lion in front of him, waiting to pounce upon him.

"You had always been close with her….I mean, Didyme had," he corrected when he saw the expression of anger as it crossed my face. "I thought she would be interested in knowing about Didyme's soul being reincarnated…"

"And she came running here when told of it?" I enquired, a dangerous nod accompanying my words.

He sighed. "Yes. She did not wait for me to explain anything further….before I was stopped in the way by Corin, who I had a hard time convincing that no, I was not planning to kill Sulpicia, and my intentions were as pure as anything. I felt like I was running a mutiny when I helped Sulpicia get out of the tower."

He chuckled, but I had no intention of joining him in his laughter.

It may be childish, but I still felt that he should have informed me about him planning to tell Sulpicia all of this.

I should have known that someone apart from him and me would be privy to the knowledge of this reincarnation theory of ours.

And more than that, I did not trust Sulpicia, not at all. I should have been asked if I was comfortable with her knowing something this big about me or not.

"Who else knows about this?" I asked, my tone that of a no-nonsense one.

He gave me a confused glance. "No one apart from Sulpicia now,"

I nodded my head. "I would prefer if you inform me the next time you plan to tell someone."

"Bella," he raised an eyebrow in question, realizing my discomfort on the subject.

I shrugged. "It made me uncomfortable, Marcus. She pounced upon me- and it took me by surprise. I could not help but be afraid for a few brief seconds there. I believe that could have been avoided had I known of her knowing."

He sighed audibly. "I am sorry, Bella. I will keep in mind this. I thought she would be happy to know, but I agree that I should have thought about your feelings, as well."

I gave him a small smile, silently telling him that I was not angry at him- I was just probably disappointed that he did not bother telling me all of this before he decided to disclose our secret to someone else.

He gave me a brief nod. "What did you even talk about?"

I sighed, pondering over whether I should tell him the truth or not- but that decision was made for me when a loud bang reverberated through the room, the source of it being the knock on my door.

"Open the door, brother. I know she is in there. I can scent her presence. I can't believe you hid this from me, but now I know the truth."

Shit.

It was Aro.